To celebrate the organization's centennial, the Boy Scouts of America are holding their annual Jamboree in Virginia. But for city scouts who couldn't make the schlep, there's always the great wild wonder of...Times Square. Scouts from Troop 36 of Pearl River in Rockland County camped out in the middle of Manhattan this weekend, setting up ropes courses and canoes during the day. But though it seems like a lot of fun, there's a lot at stake for some local scouts.
The 143 acre Pouch Camp in Staten Island is the Scouts' only city camp ground, but the cash-strapped Scouts are considering selling off parts of the land. Boy Scouts of America Field Director William Kelly told NY1, "We would sell the rights to develop that property so that it remains open space for the scouts and for New York and for the Greenbelt, and for everybody else." They also hope that the 100th anniversary will boost recruitment and funding. Charlie Greinsky of the Save Pouch Camp Committee said, "I Just want to make sure that more people get to know that Pouch Camp is at risk. And we need to save it for generations and generations."
